Dix said Friday he's assembling a legal team headed by Vancouver lawyer Murray Rankin, a specialist in aboriginal, natural resource and environment law, to consider his options to oppose the controversial $5.5-billion pipeline proposal now before a federal review panel.

Dix also is an outspoken critic of federal policy on criminal justice, Canadian-European free trade talks and health-care transfers.

But Dix said critics misjudge him if they assume he'll follow in the footsteps of his former boss, Glen Clark, who as premier in the late '90s was the last B.C. political leader to make fed-bashing a key part of his political arsenal.

"The days of the big federal-provincial confrontations, that's over," said Dix, who was Clark's top adviser during raucous B.C.-Ottawa battles over the Pacific salmon fishery.

"He's the prime minister of Canada elected by the people of Canada, and if that changes I'll be working with the next person and I have my own views on that," he said.

"But the idea that I won't work with Harper or that I see myself as some sort of a leader of the opposition to Harper is wrong. I see myself as running to make changes in B.C. That will involve sometimes disagreeing with the federal government, but just as often working with them.

"So the relationship will be quite businesslike."

He said the world of federal-provincial relations has changed due to Harper's refusal to hold first ministers' meetings, the federal government's view that Ottawa shouldn't meddle in areas of provincial jurisdiction and Ottawa's hands-off approach to provincial health-care systems.

Dix didn't mention the role former Liberal premier Gordon Campbell played in ending a history of fed-bashing in B.C.'s political culture by using a co-operative approach to wring more cash out of Ottawa.

Dix said he could be an asset to Harper on two key issues — resolving long-standing aboriginal issues such as the B.C. land claims file, and championing national unity if the Parti Quebecois replaces the Liberals in the next Quebec election.

Dix, who is fluently bilingual, even mused about the possibility that three western premiers — Alberta's Alison Redford and Manitoba's Greg Selinger also speak French — could go to Quebec and help out in a battle to keep Canada together.

"As someone who thinks it's crucial the country stay united and remain an example to the world, I think having western premiers who can speak to that would be helpful."

But Dix doesn't hesitate to take shots at the Harper government in other areas.

Ottawa's tough-on-crime legislation, especially the new law that will jail someone for possession for as few as six marijuana plants, is going to cost the province money and endanger the public, he said.

The bill "almost certainly" will result in problems prosecuting violent criminals because of jammed court systems.

And Dix said the government's unilateral reduction in the growth of health transfers, and support for a proposed Canadian-European trade deal that could trigger higher prescription drug prices, could cause problems in the provincial health-care system.

But he reserved his toughest words for the government's handling of environmental reviews of two controversial natural resource projects: Calgary-based Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipeline and Vancouver-based Taseko's New Prosperity gold-copper mine.

The Harper government is aggressively championing the pipeline, tabling legislation certain to ease the project through the regulatory review process despite fierce opposition from many B.C. First Nations.

The project is also the centrepiece of Redford's so-called national energy policy, which is seeking cross-Canada approval for infrastructure to get natural resources, especially oilsands crude, to key markets like China.

The federal government also announced this week the establishment of a review panel for the Taseko project near Williams Lake that is bitterly opposed by First Nations and was rejected by the federal government after a previous negative panel assessment in 2010.

The environmental group Sierra Club B.C. has argued that the terms of reference for the new panel effectively "neuter" its ability to rule independently.

Dix said the Harper government is making a major mistake if it thinks it can interfere with the environmental review process for the two projects.

"It may seem like a good idea to not engage fairly in processes, but in fact it's not. It's not in the interests of either the environment or economic development or First Nations issues to do that, and that's where current federal and B.C. governments have it wrong," Dix said.

"We need to have good processes that have credibility."

He said there's tremendous First Nations solidarity behind those opposed to the two projects, so the perception that aboriginal views are being ignored could cause an angry reaction, court cases and deep uncertainty for all businesses trying to launch projects in a province with a backlog of land claims.

"This has real consequences for B.C.'s reputation," he said. "I'd prefer resolving these situations that is respectful of First Nations."

Dix said the legal team headed by Rankin is looking at various legalities surrounding the issue, including the federal legislation and Harper's approach to the joint review of the Enbridge proposal by a panel drawn from the National Energy Board and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency.

One matter they're looking at is a 2010 deal in which the provincial government said it accepted that a federal environmental review would be equivalent to a B.C. process.

The agreement notes that the federal review will "take into account" the views of the public and First Nations.

Dix said there may be questions about whether Ottawa has fulfilled that commitment.

The NDP leader also said he'll be paying close attention to possible aboriginal legal challenges against Enbridge, though he said it was too early to say whether a Dix government would become involved in court cases.

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Saskatoon loves its Christmas lights. The Enchanted Forest draws thousands of vehicles each week. The late Bob Hinitt worked for months building his light display, which drew thousands of cars each year to Wiggins Avenue. And Scott Lambie on Clinkskill Drive has continued the tradition with more than 70,000 dancing lights (up from 50,000 last […]

When it comes to gift giving, they say it’s the thought that counts. But many are wondering if Mayor Drew Dilkens was thinking at all when he gave Olympic superstar Michael Phelps — whose battles with booze are well known — a big bottle of Canadian Club whisky.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.